grand confederacy of the allies would split. These difficulties stimulated the British monarch to greater exertions; and the SIXTH, after remaining a short time with the covering army commanded by Charles Henry of Lorraine, Prince of Vaudemont, was ordered to join the forces employed in the siege, and to take part in the attack of this vast fortress. While on the march the Marquis de Rada died at Bruges, and King William conferred the colonelcy on an officer who had formerly served with distinction in the regiment, VENTRIS COLUMBINE, from captain and lieutenant-colonel in the foot guards. This officer was highly esteemed in the corps, and, assuming the command of it before Namur, he had additional opportunities of signalizing himself. The regiment was on duty in the trenches on the 6th, 10th, and 13th of July; and on the 17th it lost a number of men while engaged in storming the counterscarp: it had also Captain Young killed, and Lieut. Dorrington and Ensign Drobas wounded. On the 19th it was again on duty in the trenches, and lost several men; and during the night of the 23rd it was engaged in extending the lodgment to the right. A practicable breach having been made, the enemy surrendered the town on the following day, and retired to the castle, resolving to make a desperate defence. This was one of the regiments engaged in the siege of the castle, and was encamped at a place called Maison Blanche; but, having sustained considerable loss, it was relieved on the 11th of August, and joined the covering army under the Prince of Vaudemont, who had recently quitted his position at Waterloo, and was encamped within seven miles of Namur. A detachment from the grenadier company was engaged in storming the breaches of the Terra Nova and Cohorne on the 20th of August, under Lord Cutts. This proved a most severe service; a lodgment was made along the covered way and entrenchments, but with the loss of above a thousand English, besides Bavarians, Prussians, and Dutch. The grenadier company of this regiment lost several men, and had Captain Cummins killed, and Lieutenant Twinhoe wounded. The fire against the castle was continued, and preparations made for another assault, when the garrison beat a parley, and agreed to surrender. Thus the capture of this important fortress, which was accounted the bulwark of Brabant, was achieved, and the reputation of the British monarch and his troops exalted. After the works were repaired, Colonel COLUMBINE marched with his regiment into quarters at Bruges, where he expected to pass the winter; but circumstances occurred which occasioned his return to England. [Sidenote: 1696]